Ceria's Moving Castle
by BadWolfFile
Summary: Basically, it's Howl's Moving Castle with the sexes reversed. Based around the story of Jet, and the sorceress Ceira pronounced Sarah . I may turn it into a romance eventually. No idea where it's headed right now.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Who was that woman?

Jet stared at the ground moodily. His mother, a woman who was obsessed with social standing, chatted to her equally-obsessed friends. A fat woman strolled by, her servants laden with various bits of shopping. All the women stopped gossiping and seemed to stand to attention. Her eyes moved lazily over the women – and paused on Jet. Her mouth opened wide in a terrifying smile and she spoke to the boy. "Well, well, well. What a handsome young man. And what is your name?" Jet saw his mother's face grow sly as he answered "Jet, ma'am." The fat lady's grin grew wider. "Well, Jet. Perhaps you and your parents would like to join my daughters and myself for dinner tomorrow evening." The woman nodded once and left without bothering to hear Jet's answer.

His mother was quiet until the fat woman was out of hearing range. Then, making excuses to the other women, she force-marched him home. "We'll gave to do something about your hair, Jet. It's ridiculously long." As she spoke, she cast an appraising eye over Jet's hair: it was shoulder length, and he'd only just got it to the length he wanted. "Oh… I have an appointment at the dressmakers! I forgot!" His mother turned to him. "Listen to me, Jet. You go straight home, clear?" Jet nodded sullenly. He was sixteen, after all! He should be able to make his own decisions! His mother hurried off, leaving Jet to his own devices.

The young man walked through the streets, visiting his favourite shops. He walked by the strange dusty shop with no name in the nearly-deserted street with the funny name, always looking so out of place in the glamorous town, and was surprised when the door opened. A young woman came out with a box under her arm. "Thank you again, Mr Coombe! I'm sure he'll keep better time now!" Jet found himself staring at her: her clothes were more outrageous than anything he'd ever seen before! They were a riot of colours, and the design of the clothes was foreign to him: a long skirt in rainbow colours, a loose shirt of sky blue with long silvery sleeves, and a waist-length coat of green and brown that hung from her shoulders. But if her clothes attracted his attention then her face held it. As she turned to move out into the street, Jet caught sight of her eyes. They were a vivid green, and unlike any other eyes he'd ever seen. Her hair was black, but the memorable green of her eyes was streaked through it.

She paused for a moment and juggled the box in an attempted to reach into her pockets. Then, eerily, she looked straight at him. "Here, hold this for a second, will you?" The box was shoved into his hands. Something inside seemed to be muttering to itself, but Jet was more interested in the things the woman pulled from her pockets: a spyglass, a strange bottle filled with emerald syrup, a string of black pearls, twine, paper and pens, a half-eaten chocolate bar, and a strange figuring of a man carved from jade. Finally she seemed to find what she was looking for: a golden pocket watch, the gold sheathing rubbed away in places with numerous dents. She opened it and muttered "Why am I always late?!" before shoving everything into her pockets. She took the back and said "Thanks." She then walked away so quickly that it seemed like she disappeared, leaving Jet to stand stupidly in the middle of the almost-deserted street.

Jet couldn't stop thinking about the girl. All through dinner, the whirl of rainbow skirt, the cool things she pulled out of impossible pockets – all them unique to carry around – only made him think of her more. After dinner he went for a walk in the streets surrounding his house in an effort to clear his head.

The light was fading, but Jet didn't mind. He reflected on the day, and dwelt again on the strange girl. A hand from no-where grabbed him and pulled him off the otherwise deserted street. He started to protest, but an icy hand clamped over his mouth. He began to struggle, but stopped when he saw his captor was the girl from that afternoon. Her eyes, so green before, were now black. Her hair was now an odd silvery colour – like moonlight. "Keep very still…" she murmured in his ear, so quietly it was very difficult to hear. Jet noticed the temperature drop, and shivered ever-so-slightly as he was chilled right through. But the girl was very warm, and she was very close. A slithering sound made its way up the narrow street – like the sound of the movements of a giant snake. A huge shadow undulated its way past – it took up nearly the whole street. Then it was gone, and Jet found he could breathe again. The girl frowned, and suddenly her eyes and hair were green again. "I'm sorry I had to yank you off the street like that, but there wasn't any other way to save you from being eaten." Jet watched her step cautiously out into the street… and gasped as the snake-monster struck her.

Jet rushed out onto the street, intent on helping mysterious woman who had saved from the snake-monster. He found it tying itself in knots, practically helpless, as the girl moved her fingers on her right hand over the shadow. "Magic…" Jet gasped and the girl's eyes and hair turned blood red. The snake-thing burst into flames and burned up.

When it was fully burned, the fire faded into girl's hands and her shoulders slumped a little. "I'm so out of practice…" she muttered and turned back to Jet. "Sorry you had to see that. Nasty little bugger. Now…" she grabbed hold of his hands, and suddenly they were flying. They flew over the streets, and Jet could see how far he'd wandered. They touched down inside his room, and Jet felt himself stagger. She caught him in a surprisingly strong grip, and said "Stay inside tonight, ok? She might send other's, and your scent is mingled with mine. But they can't come inside unless you invite them." Jet nodded, and she leaped to perch on the windowsill. "I guess I'll see you around. Oh, and boy? Don't get involved with any fat women named Ginger, and especially don't say anything about me to anyone." Jet frowned as the girl called him 'boy' and said "My name is Jet." The girl raised an eyebrow and inclined her head. "I am known by many names, but the one I prefer is Ceira." Then she fell out of the window. He rushed to it, only to find the street below and the sky both deserted.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone:  
Sorry for taking such a long time to upload this next chapter. I'm sure that if anyone's actually reading this you would have become sooooo irritated with me. ^.^'

Yeah… not really sure what else to say here except… Enjoy the story!

Chapter Two: Dinner with Ginger

"Mother, will you please stop fussing?!"

Jet snapped as his mother tried, for the fifth time, to attack his hair with a comb. "But it's just so… wild!" Jet scowled as she managed to run the comb through it. "Please! I'm not a child any more! I can comb my own hair!" Narcissa ignored her son's cries of outrage and determinedly combed his black hair into some kind of order. "Now, this evening has to go perfectly. I will not let you ruin what will be maybe my one chance at becoming someone to be admired!" Jet scowled again. "Maybe if you weren't so obsessed with something that's totally trivial…" he muttered, but it was low enough so his mother couldn't hear.

Justin, his father, came downstairs fiddling with his pants' fly and swearing. Narcissa swooped onto him and said "Here, let me do that." Together they heaved, but the zip wouldn't do up: it decided to break instead. "Oh no! And your best suit, too! This means the whole household will have to go on a diet!" Narcissa fretted. "Come on, Justin. We'll have to go and find a better suit of clothes. I'm just glad there's still time!" Narcissa swept out the door, and Justin exchanged looks with his son. They sighed together, and Justin followed his wife out the door. Jet went upstairs and flopped on his bed, ruffling his hair again.

Suddenly there was someone perched on the open window's sill. "Hey Jet. How's life?" Ceira stepped gracefully into the room, her green eyes gleaming mischievously. Jet sat up, surprised. "H-hey C-Ceira." He stuttered. Ceira prowled his room like an angry tiger, and then poked her head out of the door. "What's this I hear about you going to dinner with someone important?" she asked him when all of her body was back in the room. "Uhh… my parents and I were invited to dinner by some fat lady. It's real important to my mother, for some reason." Ceira made a noise of assent, her eyes narrowing and turning dark briefly.

Then, she leaped high into the air swearing. "You're going to Ginger's house?!" she asked, her voice dropping to a growl and her eyes turning blood red. Her hair began to pale to the colour of soft moonlight, and Jet gulped as an icy chill settled over him and shadows filled the room. "I… I didn't know! Honest!" Ceira seemed to get a hold of herself, the shadows and chill receded, and her colouring returned to some semblance of her normal bright self. "Sorry. I really hate Ginger. She's given sorceress' everywhere a bad name." She turned her gaze from the floor to Jet. "I suppose there's no way I can get you to not go?" her face was pleading. "I don't want to go, but mother will make me." Ceira's eyes grew cunning. "I think I know of a way to get you out of this situation…"

As Ceira has instructed, Jet had packed a small case and was waiting by the window when his mother swept into the room. "Ready to go, Jet?" Something about her voice made him do a double-take. "Like it? I've been meaning to practise my shape shifting, and this is a perfect opportunity." Jet felt his mouth drop open as he realised it was Ceira. "How… what… huh?" he felt his legs give out on him and sat down on his bed.

"What did you do with my mother?" Ceira grinned, a movement that looked totally out of place on Jet's mothers' face, and just shook her head. "She'll think she's at the dinner, but she's really at my place. I'll return her when we're done." Jet stood up again and said "But… why did I have to pack?" Ceira's grin faded and she became suddenly serious. "We need to get you out of here. Your parents won't be in any danger, but you will be, eventually."

She gestured vaguely at the small case and it rose of its own accord. Then Ceira opened the door his room… but it wasn't his houses' hallway beyond. It was someplace… dark. The case floated through, and Ceira shut the door. "Wha… what was that place? And where'd my house go?" Jet asked, his legs shaking again. Ceira turned her head slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "That was my house. And yes, your house is still beyond that door." Jet went over and pulled the door open: his house was indeed still there. Ceira swept past him and said "Coming… son?" Jet jumped, then realised that his father was standing outside waiting for them. "Ye… yes, mother." He followed the two down the stairs, silently marvelling at how well Ceira acted like Narcissa.

They arrived at Gingers' house a few minutes early. Ceira pretended to fuss over Jet, who bore it. She was helped out of the carriage by one of Gingers' servants, and Justin and Jet both followed her out. They were admitted into the house, and taken straight to a sitting room. "Narcissa! Justin! Jet!" Ginger sat on a couch, rising to kiss Ceira's cheek. Two plump girls sat in chairs opposite their mother – Gingers' daughters. They would have been attractive to Jet – if he hadn't seen Ceira. The boy somehow knew that Ceira would do something dramatic and sweep him away.

They ate at a huge dining table of wood that had been polished to a shine. "I must say, this is excellent, Ginger darling." Ceira commented. Ginger shrugged. "Of course. I always have nothing but the best at my table." Her eyes travelled from Ceira down the table to where Jet was sitting next to both of her daughters, one on each side. Jet concentrated on his plate, moving his fork around. Somehow he knew that Ceira was about to do her dramatic sweeping away, and for some reason he was nervous.

"So tell me, Ginger. How many people have you cursed this week?" Ginger, caught off guard, said "Well, I've…" she stopped dead and stared at Ceira. The younger woman was unfazed, continuing to take delicate mouthfuls of meat. "I… beg your pardon, Narcissa, but I'd almost swear you asked me how many people I've cursed?" Ginger asked, and Ceira nodded, still eating. "What did you think I asked?" her voice had dropped from Narcissa's high girlish voice to her own, rather deep natural tones.

It showed on Ginger's face as she realised who Ceira was, and the entire room darkened. "You! How dare you…?" Ceira turned back into her colourful self in the blink of an eye. She put her knife and fork down on her empty plate and wiped her mouth with deft, delicate movements. "I dare because I know you can't harm me right now." Ceira stood and suddenly the room was plunged into complete blackness. Ceira was lit up by some kind of internal light, with light particles moving underneath her seemingly translucent skin like miniature stars. Jet found himself moving towards her, and she was suddenly clothed in a cloak of lights. "Farewell, witch Ginger! I will see you again!" Jet was swept up in her cloak of lights and was blinded.


End file.
